carefully
Americanadverb
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in a cautious way, with attention to possible risks and dangers.
Although somewhat "folksy" in his interview, the congressman carefully avoided pitfalls where he would be vulnerable to attack.
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in a thorough, attentive, or painstaking way, giving thought to avoiding errors or omissions.
I have to carefully examine the copy editor's marked-up manuscript, double-checking everything and approving or vetoing changes.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of carefully
First recorded before 1000; careful ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
Carefully means cautiously or painstakingly. If you carefully study your vocabulary words, you'll ace your next quiz! This adverb comes from the Old English carfullice — but before coming to mean "in a way that avoids harm," it meant "sorrowfully." In fact, the very oldest meaning of care was "to be anxious or to grieve." These days, you don't cry when you do something carefully. You just take your time and make sure you're doing it right and that no one's being harmed by it, like when you check carefully behind your car for the neighbor's cat before you back out of the driveway.
Vocabulary lists containing carefully
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
However, the newer findings are consistent with the idea that omega-3 fatty acids may affect insulin resistance and inflammation in ways worth testing more carefully.
From Science Daily • May 31, 2026
Employees around Gates have spent years carefully cultivating his portrayal to set him apart from his combative years fighting antitrust charges while leading Microsoft, according to internal documents and Gates employees.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
When the lender doesn’t bear the risk of a loan going bad, there is no incentive to underwrite it carefully.
From Barron's • May 30, 2026
Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, said the organization plans to carefully review the decision to halt the upcoming closure.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
‘You all need to listen carefully as I only have time to say it once.’
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
